


With Love, From Tiffany

by phenylic (tascioni)



Series: i don't actually know what happens next [3]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-25
Updated: 2012-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 17:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tascioni/pseuds/phenylic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the summer before third grade when Arthur is eight, his dad takes him on a trip into the city, and says, “This is just between me and you, champ, okay? Can you keep this between us?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	With Love, From Tiffany

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> be honest, how many of you got Valentine's ring pops from squirtblossom?

In the summer before third grade when Arthur is eight, his dad takes him on a trip into the city, and says, “This is just between me and you, champ, okay? Can you keep this between us?” 

Arthur nods, because even though he doesn’t really like going into the city (his mom only ever goes to do boring things, like go to the bank or do some shopping), his dad had said this was going to be important, and he had used his Serious Business voice, so Arthur had come along, a little nervous, a little excited, ready for whatever adventure his dad was taking him on. 

They go inside a store that is kind of dark, and everyone inside wears suits and the girls all walk around in high heels. Arthur is barely tall enough to peer over the glass counters, but his father tells him he doesn’t need to be looking over, he needs to look in. So Arthur looks in and _wows_ at how _shiny_ everything is. His father tells him that they need to find a ring for his mom, and when Arthur asks him what kind, he says, “Whatever kind you think she’ll love.” 

Arthur thinks hard because his mom doesn’t really wear rings much and he says so. 

“I know, champ,” his dad says. “That’s why I need your help.” 

“Okay,” Arthur says. 

“We need a plan,” his dad says with a grin and crouches down so they can see eye-to-eye. “There are three cases over,” he says, pointing to Arthur’s left. “I want you to look at them very carefully, okay? This is very important, Arthur.” 

“Okay,” Arthur says, nodding. “What about you?” 

His father grins again and jabs a thumb to Arthur’s right. “I’ll be right there,” he says. “If you find anything, just say ‘Whiskey Tango to Foxtrot’. Got it?” 

“Whiskey Tango to Foxtrot,” Arthur repeats, laughing. 

“Go get ‘em, champ,” his dad replies with a wink. 

Arthur hurries over to his designated cases. The rings are arranged in neat little rows of five, and Arthur inspects each one carefully, fighting down the urge to pick the shiniest one because his mom _likes_ diamonds, but he remembers her saying once that she doesn’t _love_ them. 

In the second case, near the far left corner, Arthur sees it. 

It has the shape of a flower--and Arthur knows his mom likes flowers--and the center of it is pink, which happens to be his mother’s favorite color. “Whiskey Tango to Foxtrot,” he whispers excitedly, turning to look for his father who is peering into a case and doesn’t seem to have heard him. “Whiskey Tango to Foxtrot!”

His father looks around. “See something, champ?”

Arthur points. “That one,” he says. “The pink flower.” 

His father studies it and then beckons one of the clerks over, tapping at the top of case. 

Arthur loses all interest once they start talking, and instead of sticking around for boring grown-up talk, he looks at the other cases, frowning in concentration and squinting at the shimmer. (He’d seen people on TV inspect jewelry like this. It didn’t really seem to make a difference, but Arthur figured it was probably because he was far-sighted.)

“Ready, champ?” 

Arthur looks up and nods. “Yep,” he says.

His father holds out his hand, and Arthur takes it and waves goodbye to the store people. 

That night, Arthur’s father gives him a dark blue, heart-shaped box and tells him to keep it safe. 

“Don’t let your mom see it,” he says with a wink. 

“Um,” says Arthur because he’s never had to hide anything from his mom before. 

His father ruffles his hair. “Be smart, champ,” he says and claps Arthur on the shoulder. “Now go get ready for bed.” 

In the end, Arthur hides it under his bed. Right next to his shoebox of rocks. 

At school, Arthur gives Eames a ring pop. 

“My dad says it’s good luck to give your best friend in the whole world a ring,” he explains seriously. “It keeps them safe.” 

Eames takes it. “Oh,” he says and squints. “Safe from what?” 

Arthur has no idea. “Bad things,” he says. “You know.” He waves his hand around like Ms. Janette does when Carlos asks a lot of questions. 

Eames nods. “Okay,” he says, very serious, and rips open the package.

“What are you doing!” squawks Arthur, appalled. 

“What?” asks Eames, brow furrowed. “I’m eating it!” 

“You can’t eat it!”

“Why not?”

“You’ll break the good luck!” 

“Oh,” says Eames.

“Yeah,” says Arthur. 

Eames looks at him. “But I don’t have one for you,” he says, crestfallen. “Does that mean I can’t be your best friend?” 

Arthur frowns. “No,” he says. “You are my best friend.” 

“But--” starts Eames, but then he stops and falls silent. 

“What?” prods Arthur. 

Eames holds out the ring. “Will you be my best friend, Arthur?” 

Arthur looks at him. “I am your best friend,” Arthur says, baffled. 

“But you said best friends have to have rings,” says Eames. 

Arthur stares at the ring pop. He does not like Blue Raspberry. Eames does. 

“But I gave that to you,” he points out. “You can’t give it back to me. You’d give me the bad luck.” 

“Oh,” Eames says, and frowns. “But you don’t have good luck if you don’t have a ring.” 

Arthur frowns, too. He didn’t think of that. 

Eames puts the ring pop in his mouth. Arthur stares. Eames takes it out.

“This way,” Eames says, wiping his lips on the back of his hands. “I won’t have more good luck than you, so when bad luck comes, I can tell it to come to me instead.” 

“Okay,” Arthur agrees slowly. “But next time, we get ring pops together.” 

“Okay,” says Eames. “So we’ll both have good luck, right?” 

Arthur nods. “Yep.”

**Author's Note:**

> [This](http://www.westonjewelry.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/300x/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/w/m/wm6462i-Tiffany-Co-Pink-sapphire-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum.jpg)
> 
> is the ring Arthur picked out for his mom. [This](http://www.iheartsavingmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Blue-Raspberry-Pop.png) is the ring Arthur got for Eames. :D


End file.
